Acrylics store bought compared ?

[jim1215]

hi , i was at my local minature painting club in town and noticed some incredible work by some of the veteran painters, and asked what brand of acrylic paint they used as there work looked amazing , i was suprised to find out more than a few of them use acrlic bottles from michaels or locaL craft store the brands were (apple barrel or americana ) . they were like 1.59 a bottle and come in a ton of colors . and dry matte . now i have been on planet since 2008 and have to become a better painter i stocked most vallejo and andrea paints ( i still have not had the guts to show my work yet but will soon ) 54mm faces are killing me , my grey army is now over 100+ strong , so i have a lifetime to go ... but was wondering if anyone has tryed these paints . thanks for any comments ..jimmy

 

[redhorse]

I've used them for a few figures and overall I've been pleased with the results. I can't compare them to Reaper or Vallejo though as I don't have any of those. Most of mine are Delta brand, but I've always bought them based on the color and not the brand.

Plus the price can't be beat and I don't have to mail order or drive 30 miles to the closest hobby shop

 

[Einion]

James, these paints aren't bad but really they're not quite up to the standards of Vallejo, Andrea, Reaper, Jo Sonja etc.

The face at the right end of my signature was done with this type of paint (using just these colours).

They're definitely worth considering for painting groundwork and other things where you don't need a completely smooth surface, especially since the earth colours as well as white and black are probably the best of them since the pigments are cheap so they can include a fair amount of it while sticking to their price point. The dark blues can be pretty good too but the reds, and yellows especially, can be frustratingly transparent. But as you can see, they can be made to work if you had no other option.

Einion

 

[Jeff]

My favorite has always been Duncan Bisque stain. When I painted lots of 25 mm figures I used a lot of different brands, but Duncan was the brand I used most.

 

[JasonB]

The only type of acrylic paint I use is the Delta Ceramcote brand that I can get at Walmart or Hobbylobby. I figure I'm not good enough, or picky enough, to spot he difference between them and a higher end hobby paint. I've always had good results, though I use them more for a base coat for oils. Over a white primer works best, especially for the yellow and reds, but I find that to be the case for all the yellows and red I have ever used. I don't do faces in Acrylics, too difficult for me and I like the results oils give, and they work great for that. The best part is that they are CHEAP! I don't paint for contests or anything, so they suit my needs just fine.
Cheers
Jason